


Shifting Paths

by Videung



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Badass Rey, F/M, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rey Needs A Hug, Sexual Tension, Star Wars: The Last Jedi Throne Room Scene, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:02:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25787026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Videung/pseuds/Videung
Summary: The throne room scene goes a bit differently and the path diverges from canon.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 57





	1. Join me

Fire fell around them. The world at large appeared to have stopped existing in the space between their two bodies. Rey saw nothing but Ben's eyes that seemed to her like looking into two deep dark wells. The words coming out of his mouth had been cruel, but she knew his true feelings, just as he knew hers. 

"Please." 

As her hand traveled towards his, Rey's tearful eyes wandered from his face to the outstretched glove in front of her, recalling his big but somehow slender fingers reaching for hers on Ahch-To. She wished he had taken his glove off.

Rey's hand stopped midway on its journey.

"What about the First Order?" Her eyes went up to meet his again, a hint of steel flashing behind her tears.

"Rey…"

"You said to kill the past. you said forget about the Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels… What about the First Order?"

Kylo was quiet for a moment. His mouth twitched, his face seemed almost forlorn. But then the moment was gone, his expression settled into steely resolve.

"The first order is our future."

Rey drew a short breath.

 _"He can't let go, just like i can't."_

Rey drew her saber.

-

While what was left of The Raddus burned through The Supremacy, Rey was laying in a heap on the throne room floor, realizing she was in terrible pain. She could barely see or hear, her sight was dimmed and sounds were muffled and far away. The last thing she remembered was the tug of war for the lightsaber and her and Kylo screaming out their frustrations as everything blew apart. But by recalling him she felt a chill go down her spine.

 _Where is Ben?_ _Is he alright? Is he safe? Or rather... if he is alright, am i safe?_

Suddenly she heard muffled footsteps behind her. She couldn't turn her head but she knew it was him. _I guess he must have fared better than me._ Rey tried to turn over, thinking she had to get in some kind of defensive position. But as soon as she did, a sharp pain struck her down again. Something must have fallen on her during the explosion. 

Kylo crouched over her. He seemed to consider her for a moment, and Rey held her breath. She felt strong arms carefully lift her up into the air, much the same as on Takodana. She let her head rest on his shoulder, not that she had the strength to keep it up in any case. Her vision was coming back, however, and she looked up at Kylo who regarded her with an unreadable expression. 

"You're hurt. Don't resist this." He did that strange swallowing thing with his mouth again. 

"Would not be able to anyway." She felt her senses slipping.The last thing she saw before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep was Ben looking at her with what seemed like a hint of concern in his dark eyes.

-

When General Armitage Hux entered Snoke's throne room he realized that his bad day had just become a million times worse. Seeing the supreme leader cut in half on his throne was bad enough, but to then lower one's gaze and see that Kylo Ren was standing beneath it with what appeared to be the scavenger-jedi girl in his arms… Hux felt the need to puke. 

"What happened?!" 

"I killed Snoke."

" _You_ killed… That's _high_ _treason_!!" Hux could not believe what he was hearing. He felt his whole world crumble.

Kylo turned away from the throne and strode towards him, holding the scavenger tight against his chest. Hux felt sweat forming on his brow as Kylo came to a halt in front of him.

"It would have been if i failed." 

Hux instinctively shrank back, something about Kylo's expression scared him. He was no fool, he realized where this was heading.

"Ll..long live the supreme... leader. He reluctantly choked out. 

Kylo moved past him and went towards the elevator.

" Get all our forces to that resistance base." 

"Wh..what about the jedi scavenger?! She is a high priority target, we should host a public executi…" 

Hux was unable to finish his sentence since he felt like his windpipe was being crushed.

-

Rey woke up covered with bacta in what seemed like someone's storage. Looking around, there were containers everywhere. _Where the kriff am i_? Disoriented, she tried moving her body, barely able to lift her legs. A medical droid nearby turned around at the sound of her trying to sit up. 

"Oooba, oooba. Let's calm down." The droid approached and tried to gently push her down again but Rey resisted. 

"Where am I?" 

"I will tell you as soon as you lay down and let the bacta finish its work" 

Rey grimaced but let the droid push her down into the bed. 

"Oooba, oooba. There we go. Nice and calm."

Rey glanced at the medical droid. "What's your name?" 

"Tan-B9."

She gave the droid a weary smile. "Nice to meet you Tan-B9, I'm Rey." 

Tan-B9 nodded and started fixing a bacta pack on her leg. 

"What's with the "oooba, oooba" chanting?" 

"It has a calming effect on humans." 

"It has?"

The droid slowly turned its head towards Rey.

"Yes."

Rey, deciding not to push the issue blinked and shook her head. "Never mind, where am i?"

"You're in a storage room converted into a makeshift medical bay onboard the Supreme leader's personal shuttle."

"And where is the shuttle?"

"Oh we're on the planet Crait, currently facing down the resistance hiding in an old rebel base. You know, we really should not be here. It's an active war zone and I told the supreme leader that I can give you adequate care on the Finalizer but he _insisted_ that you would be coming with him, so I had no choice but to make do with what is essentially a storage closet…"

"What? The resistance is still alive?" Rey could not believe it. _Finn...Leia..._ She thought they had all been shot down during their escape from The Raddus. 

"Well. Not for long."

Rey stared blankly at the droid.

"I need to get out of here."

The medical droid flailed helplessly as Rey got up and pushed it aside, bacta packs flying everywhere. 

"We are under strict orders to remain here!" 

But Rey was already on her knees trying to disable the lock mechanism on the storage door. She got it up easily and strode out into a small corridor located in the middle of the shuttle. Tan-B9 followed suit, muttering about how the supreme leader would not like this one bit. She decided to ignore that piece of information and went with purpose towards the door at the end of the corridor. She knew that behind it, that's where _he_ was. She could sense it. 

It was only after she furiously stumbled through, yelling "stop!" at the top of her lungs, and seeing the surprised faces that she realized that she was half-naked, still hurt, bacta packs clinging to her body and, worst of all, no weapon in her hands.

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me for any grammar mistakes. English is my second language :)
> 
> I don't know where I'm going with this so I'll add tags as I go.


	2. On Crait

"Concentrate all fire on those speeders!" 

General Hux felt good about this, standing beside Kylo on the shuttle's command bridge. They had them on their knees, it was just a matter of time. Disregarding the fact that he had to take orders from Kylo Ren, this was shaping up to be a great moment in history.

A loud scream took him from his happy thoughts.

"Stop!" 

Hux spun around, taking in the sight of what appeared to be the scavenger dressed in just a... chest... covering of some sort and filthy rags someone like her would probably call pants. Bacta packs were hanging off her body and one of them was leaking bacta on the floor, making a small puddle where she stood.

Hux glanced at Kylo and was astonished to see that the so-called Supreme leader was more stunned than him. It occurred to Hux that he had never seen such an expression on Kylo before.

_Oh no..Oh no no..this is not good._

"Forgive me, Supreme leader! I was not able to stop her." A droid showed up in the doorway behind the scavenger. 

"Excuse me, Supreme leader. We are awaiting your command." The shuttle pilot sounded very uncertain about this whole situation.

Hux felt like the last of his sanity was slipping by him. " _Enough!_ What is going on here?! Why is a dangerous prisoner running around the shuttle with a... a damn medical droid!?"

"Technically I'm a repurposed maternity droid." 

Yes, his sanity was definitely slipping by him. Hux glanced at Kylo again to see if he would take charge of the situation, but he seemed to be occupied in some sort of intense staring match with the scavenger.

That this would be a great moment in history seemed less and less likely.

"Don't do this Ben. Let the survivors go or i will stop you."

_How_ ? Hux thought. _You're outnumbered with no weapon, not even a Jedi can beat those odds. Especially not an injured, bacta leaking one..._

"I'll consider it if you agree to stay here."

Hux froze.

_What?!_

-

Rey realized, barely standing on the command bridge that she had probably broken some part of her leg in the throne room and that the need to lay down on the floor was increasing. But with the help of adrenaline, sheer force of will, and perhaps the force itself she was determined to see this through. Not that she knew exactly _what_ that entailed. 

It felt like time had stopped when she arrived. She had no plan, but at least she had gotten them to stop shooting and stare at her instead. That was something at least.

Surveying the room she saw the shuttle pilots quickly returning to their consoles, a tall red-headed man staring at her looking like he was about to explode, and Ben...

Ben looked at her like that time she caught the lightsaber on Starkiller base. 

_"Enough!_ What is going on here?! Why is a dangerous prisoner running around the shuttle with a… a damn medical droid!"

The red-haired man's screaming woke her up from her memories.

"Don't do this Ben. Let the survivors go or i will have to stop you ."

 _Somehow._ Rey felt increasingly unsure, but she refused to let it show. She steadied herself and focused on Ben.

He moved towards her. Rey tensed. As he closed the distance between them he reached out his hand. Rey wondered if he was going to offer her his hand again, but then he swiftly janked off the leaking bacta pack hanging loosely from her hip and threw it aside. 

"I'll consider it if you agree to stay with the First order."

Rey opened her mouth to rebuff that ridiculous idea but there was something about the almost pleading expression on his face, that made her think twice.

_This may be the only way._

Rey had not realized she would be able to leverage herself so easily, but if it saved her friends she would try to make the most of it. 

"No, no uncertainty. You will cease-fire, withdraw your troops, and leave this system. If you let the resistance evacuate in peace I will agree to stay with the First order _willingly_ as a prisoner of war."

 _For a little while at least._ Rey held her breath. 

"Done. Guards, cuff her."

The command bridge suddenly got very quiet.

Rey barely registered when a stormtrooper cuffed her hands using the same type of cuffs she wore on her way to Snoke, a thousand thoughts were running through her head, and most of them were variations of "what have i _done_?" 

Thankfully the red-haired man's shrill voice snapped her out of it.

"Supreme leader! We got them on their knees! We can end the war right here! Why would you risk it for some jedi-"

Ben raised his hand and the red-haired man smashed into the console behind him.

"Guards, escort the prisoner back to the storage room, let no one in or out-" Ben stopped and regarded Tan-B9 for a moment. "Except for the droid."

Rey scowled and pointed a finger towards Ben. "Hey! I won't just go back into your storage without some confirmation that-"

"Uhm.. sir? There is a lone man out on the field."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like Kylo/Ben is a lot more level headed if Rey is close, so he handles the situation on Crait with a little bit more tact here.
> 
> I also enjoy writing Hux's pov a bit too much.


	3. On Crait part two

Hux straightened out his clothes after his _unfortunate_ console-crash incident and looked out the window. The pilot was right, a man in what looked like Jedi robes was standing in front of the rebel base.

"Luke."

The way Kylo said his name made Hux almost flinch. But It seemed like Kylo was finally back in the game since he had stopped staring at the scavenger and was facing the pilot.

"Get me down to him. Keep the doors covered and don't advance unless i say."

"Yes Sir."

_Oh no._

Hux tried desperately to compose himself.

"Supreme leader..."

But as the shuttle reached the ground Kylo was already back to being solely focused on the scavenger. Kylo removed his cloak with a flick of his wrists and draped it around her carefully.

"Ben…" the scavenger sounded aggravated.

"I have to face him."

"Not like this, not right now. Pull back and let's leave."

Hux almost thought he'd be convinced, but then Kylo reverted to his old unstable self again.

"Not until Luke has paid for what he's done." Kylo seemed to almost spit out the words.

"Get me out of this shuttle, and get the prisoner to her quarters."

 _The longer he's in charge the more our plans get derailed._ Hux realized something had to be done.

-

As Kylo left the shuttle Rey was led back through the hallway. She racked her brain trying to think of what to do next. _Anything could be happening out there._

She had been certain that Ben wouldn't renegade on their promise, but with Luke in the mix, he seemed to have reverted back to his Kylo Ren persona. The man almost shaking with fear and anger on the command bridge had been so far removed from the Ben she talked to just a few seconds earlier. She now finally understood just how deeply Luke's choice had impacted Ben. It had been the last straw, after a lifetime of them.

"Get inside, scavenger scum!"

"No need to be so rude towards my patient." Tan-B9 sounded incensed.

They had arrived at her storage room. As the guards punched in the code to the door, Rey decided that she was going to make a run for it. _If I go into that room, I'll be useless._

She noticed that the stormtroopers by her side seemed unwilling to grab her or touch her in any way, which she guessed was because of her connection with the supreme leader. _I wonder if that will give me some leeway to try something._ Thinking quickly she took a few steps backwards, facing them both, she raised her shackled hands.

"Give me and the droid your weapons and take a nap in the storage room. Oh! And get these cuffs off me."

The mind trick worked, and the stormtroopers were eager to dispose of their weapons and take a break. Rey felt a bit surprised that she had been able to convince them both at the same time. The only problem now was Tan-B9.

"I may like you a little bit but not enough to commit treason and definitely not enough to break protocol and handle a deadly weapon."

Rey gave the blaster to Tan-B9 and put her hand on its shoulder.

"Tan-B9. Your loyalties lie first and foremost with the supreme leader correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"And you know how much the supreme leader cares for me?"

"Oh very, he dragged me out here just to make sure you-"

"Then if anything would happen to me or if i ran away then he would not be happy?"

"Oh, I shudder to think what would happen." Tan-B9 swayed swiftly back and forth in the hallway.

"Look, my loyalties lie with him as well." _Partly._ She thought. "But i have to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid out there, and if you can help me by escorting me back onto the command bridge for just a moment so I can see what's happening i promise i will go back to your medical bay on the Finalizer and be a good patient when this is all over. You have my word."

"And what if i don't?"

"Then I'll shoot you and go anyway."

"Sigh. Lead the way then."

-

Hux and the shuttle pilot sat in silence and watched as Kylo wasted the First Orders time and maybe triumph by going out in the field and dueling an old man. 

He wasn't sure if Kylo was serious about his promise to pull back their forces, a promise that he for some inane reason made to the scavenger, but Hux wasn't stupid enough to just wait around and see.

As Kylo ignited his lightsaber outside, Hux stood up and pulled his blaster from his belt. 

"As your commanding officer, i order you to fire at the traitor Kylo Ren."

The pilot visibly tensed but did not otherwise stir.

"Excuse me sir, but from where i sit it seems you're the most likely traitor."

Hux balked and let out an indignant sigh.

"Kylo Ren murdered our Supreme Leader Snoke in cold blood and is now on his way to jeopardize this entire operation for an old man and some girl. I'm saving the First Order and the war effort by doing this, you should thank me."

The pilot snorted. "I only take orders from Supreme Leader Kylo Ren. This is treason."

"Only if it fails." He pointed the blaster towards the pilot's temple.

"It just did."

Hux spun around just in time to see the scavenger knock him out with the barrel of a first order blaster.

-

Rey breathed a sigh of relief standing over the redhead's unconscious body, she had made it just in time. She had been cleverer this time, taking her time sneaking and not just storming in, blaster blazing.

Tan-B9 threw the blaster it was holding to the floor. "Is everyone a traitor today?" 

Rey smiled. She was about to move away when she realized her energy and force reserves had run out, and the injured leg she was standing on could no longer hold her weight. As she crumbled to the floor Kylo Ren's massive frame entered her field of vision. Rey almost laughed, his expression had gone from simmering rage to shocked bewilderment in an instant as he took in the state of the room.

"What. Happened?"

"Sir! General Hux just tried to commit treason by forcing me to shoot you. Your prisoner prevented that from happening by knocking him out."

While the pilot briefed him, Kylo scoped Rey up in his arms. She chuckled softly, _How many times am i going to end up here?_ She felt easily amused, and a bit delirious from the pain.

"Haven't you healed her yet?" Kylo gave Tan-B9 an icy glare.

 _He still sounds like Kylo._ Rey felt a pang of worry. _What happened to Luke?_

"She's broken her leg, and It's hard to treat a patient that refuses to lay still." Tan-B9 sounded as calm as ever, no doubt glad that order was returning to the shuttle.

"Order our troops to pull out and bring us back to the Finalizer. Droid, get your bacta packs, you will treat her here." 

With that Kylo sat down on a bench by the wall with Rey in his arms. As Tan-B9 started working on her leg, Rey decided she needed answers, before she passed out.

"What happened out there? It felt like Luke… disappeared in the force."

Rey felt his hold on her tighten before it relaxed again.

"Your feeling was right. Luke has returned to the force." Kylo was staring straight ahead, his mind a million miles away.

"Did you kill him?" 

The question made Kylo suddenly lock eyes with her. What she saw in them made her realize that he was Ben again.

"No."

Somehow she knew he hadn't, Luke had gone in peace, she had felt it.

"Good."

She sighed and let her head fall on his chest. She felt him loosen his hold on her arm and slowly stroke it up and down with a gloved hand so carefully like she was made of glass. _His heart beats so swiftly._

"And the resistance?" 

He stopped stroking her arm.

"A deal is a deal, what's left of the resistance is currently safely on their way out of here."

 _Thank goodness_. Rey nuzzled Ben's neck and smiled into it. Vaguely she felt him freeze above her. _There is still hope for the Resistance, and for Leia, Finn, and... Ben._

She felt herself drift off into sleep to the sound of Ben's gradually calming heartbeat.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess the story so far is "Kylo and Rey can't stop staring at each other while Hux is plotting treason."


	4. Towards the Finalizer

When Rey opened her eyes just a couple hours later, she felt better than she had in a long while. Taking in her surroundings she realized she was still on the shuttle’s command bridge, they had not yet arrived at the Finalizer.

_We're still drifting in space._

It was quiet on the bridge. The pilot seemed to be half asleep in his chair and Tan-B9 was in sleep mode. The red-headed man was gone. _Hopefully, he was apprehended and locked in a room somewhere._ She was laying against Ben's chest, sandwiched between his legs on the black bench lining the wall. Rey glanced up at his face. his usual mask-like features had softened and his intense dark eyes were shut. _I think Ben's asleep too._

She felt it was fascinating to see him like this, so unguarded, so... free of guilt and despair. Rey figured she could stare at his sleeping face for hours. She thought it strange how a man that she just four days ago battled for her life with, now seemed to her like a beguiling mystery she needed to be close to. She wanted to understand him, the strange connection they shared, and most of all she wanted to know why she desired to touch him.

Hesitantly, she reached for his face. she studied the scar she’d given him, remembering how her only thought at that time was to cut him down, to kill him for killing Han and hurting Finn. Hate and anger had swirled inside her then, it had made her strong, powerful. But afterward… she had felt shame, for giving in to her anger, for almost stepping forth and stabbing him in his gut as he lay sprawled on his back in the snow, ending his life. When she left on the falcon she had felt him. She knew even then that they would meet again. Rey had stopped hating him there on the ground surrounded by snow. Instead, she had felt nothing for him, but that had changed on Ahch-To.

She touched his scar with her fingertips. _This is our scar in a strange way, I gave it and he took it_. It felt warm under her fingers.

“Rey.”

Faster than she could blink, a large hand had enveloped her wrist. Silently cursing the fact that she got caught red-handed, she blushed and looked up at Ben. He, in turn, was regarding her in a way that she could not fully understand, but it made her blush more.

“I’m sorry.. for touching it... and you know, for making it in the first place, even though you-” She was rambling, she knew it but she could not stop.

Suddenly she felt Ben's hand touch her cheek.

“it's okay.”

It was dark on the command bridge but Rey was certain that there was the ghost of a smile on his face as he said those words. They both stared at each other in what felt like a lifetime. She saw his eyes focus on her lips, so she focused on his.

“Ahem!”

A loud cough came from the pilot's chair that made them both blink. Ben removed his hand from her face as Rey turned flustered towards the window.

“Forgive me Supreme leader, I almost dozed off. we will reach the Finalizer in approximately fifty-five minutes.”

“Focus on your job officer.”

Ben had never sounded so mellow talking to his subordinates before, Rey noted. The pilot made a sharp nod. He was staring straight ahead and seemed suddenly intently focused on his task of watching over the autopilot. Rey wondered if perhaps this was the time to climb off Ben's lap, but then she realized he was still holding her wrist. She gave him a look and raised her brow but he just made a sideways glance towards his chest. Rey understood what he meant and hesitated but a moment before she rested her head against him again. In truth, she did not want to leave. As she settled herself, she glanced up at Ben. He had closed his eyes, and both his posture and expression seemed uncharacteristically relaxed. Rey decided to follow his example, but then she felt his thumb tenderly make slow circles on her wrist.

This time it was her heart that was beating rapidly.


	5. Arrival

It felt like the most blissful fifty-five minutes of her life. Neither she nor Ben said anything because nothing needed to be said. They simply sat there, huddled together on the quiet command bridge, enjoying prolonged human closeness for the first time in a long while. It felt very unlike the time they touched on Ahch-To. That had been a blend of force and physical connection, a link that crossed time and space, letting them see each other's minds and hearts.

This was different, not as fantastically profound but a more intimate human connection. Ben had released her arm and taken his gloves off before he gingerly grasped it again. The skin to skin contact made their strange force bond thrum gently before fading into the background. They were both awake but the only movement was Ben’s thumb making slow circles on her wrist. Just this small sensation made Rey feel good, but, good in a way she’d never experienced. It was a feeling that spread throughout her whole body, making her feel slightly hot. Suddenly she was made aware of things she hadn't thought of before, like the fact that Ben smelled like salt and smoke, and for some reason, she liked it very much.

“Are you able to stand?”

Rey opened her eyes and Ben was looking at her with one slightly raised brow. She glanced around and saw that they had already arrived at the Finalizer’s shuttle bay. She'd gotten lost in strange thoughts and not even realized it.

“Oh. Yes of course.”

She practically jumped from his lap. Forcefully jerking her wrist from his grasp at the same time, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She saw Ben stare at his empty hand for a second before he rose from the bench and Rey felt even more awkward.

“I want to apologize for cuffing you earlier.” Ben sounded somber while he pulled on his leather gloves again and got his uniform in order.

 _Never thought I'd hear him apologize._ “It’s alright, I got them off quickly enough.” She tried to sound confident, wanting to quickly get a hold over her swirling emotions.

“You won’t have to wear them for long this time either.”

“What do you mean?” Rey had been trying to fix a bun that was loose but now she stood frozen with her hands in her hair.

“I’m going to cuff you again.”

At that moment the shuttle pilot entered from the corridor. “Supreme Leader, The procession is ready for you.” He seemed nervous, glancing between them both.

Ben only raised his hand a fraction and the pilot quickly disappeared.

Rey felt stupid. How could she spend her time thinking about what the Supreme leader of the First Order smells like, instead of figuring a way out of this situation?

Silence fell over the shuttle as they both just stared at each other.

“You look angry.”

Ben took a step towards her.

“I am angry.” Rey Scowled.“Why do i need cuffs? I’m not going to run away.”

_Yet._

“You said you'd agree to join the first order as a political prisoner in exchange for the Resistance’s free passage. That means that we have to put on a show for the First Order generals that think i'm insane for making that trade in the first place.”

“By cuffing me?”

“By making them think you are a dangerous enemy, a powerful Jedi that i've got under control, and that can be used to further the goals of the First Order.”

Rey just glared at him for a moment, then she closed the gap between them until she was inches from his face.

“I am a dangerous enemy, Kylo Ren.”

Something that resembled a smile formed on his lips. “Then i better get those cuffs.”

-

Marching out on the shuttle ramp with those _kriffing_ cuffs on, Rey had to quickly look down as to not get blinded by the strong lights in the enormous hangar bay. _It looks like the whole First Order is here._ What seemed like a thousand stormtroopers stood neatly in formation around them. The First Order officers onboard the Finalizer was also present, their impeccable black uniforms made them look like a dark cluster in a sea of white. 

Rey strode a few steps behind Kylo, as they marched towards the center of the hangar. He wanted her by his side but as she was still angry with him she got some enjoyment out of ignoring his commands. Soon they got close to the center, where a group of those dark uniforms bowed down on one knee. 

Kylo stopped in front of a man in the forefront of the group. There was something weird about that man. He had a cap on but underneath it, his head was covered in thin bacta patches.

"Supreme Leader." Hearing his voice made Rey almost jump. _T_ _he red-haired man!_

"General Hux." Kylo said his name with indifference, like the man hadn't tried to kill him a few hours earlier.

Rey was about to say something but a tension in the force between her and Kylo made her hesitate, she could feel that he _really_ did not want her to say anything. She begrudgingly held her tongue and glanced at the man apparently called General Hux.

"I've informed the rest of the High command of your... succession. They are eager to know your plans for the First Order." 

"Good. Set a course for Coruscant, and tell them that if they want to be a part of my plans, to get there as soon as possible."

"Understood, Supreme Leader." Hux hesitated and glanced at Rey with ill hidden contempt.

"They also expressed concerns regarding the Jedi-"

"The Jedi's place in this will be revealed on Coruscant." Kylo's tone was now ice-cold.

"Of course sir."

With that, they continued through the hangar bay, and the only thing on Rey's mind was to get Kylo alone in a room so she could get some sense into what the kriff he was planning.


	6. The Elevator

While leaving the shuttle bay and marching into the elevator, it struck Rey that she had ended up in the same situation as on the Supremacy, cuffed in an elevator with Kylo Ren. Only this time, she would not face Snoke.

“Where are we going?” They were standing side by side in the elevator, with blank faces, staring straight ahead towards the elevator doors.

“My quarters.”

Rey frowned. “Why?” 

“Would you rather stay in a cell?’’

‘’Considering i'm supposed to be your prisoner, perhaps that would be apt.’’ To that, Kylo slightly turned his head and gave her a sideways glance.

“I mean,’’ Rey continued. “What would happen if the Resistance or your precious _High command_ found out i’m running around loose in your bedroom?’’ Feeling her frustrations boiling over, she could not help but tease him a bit, even though thinking of the implications of being in his bedroom made her blush.

Kylo, seemingly unmoved by her teasing, looked straight forward again. "Don't fret, I'll figure out a way to keep your movements hidden." 

Rey sighed and moved so that she stood facing him. While she had every intention of grilling him about his “plans” for the First Order, finding out where she stood in relation to him seemed to right now be more pressing than ever.

“Ben, what is this?”

‘’What do you mean?’’

“This.” she gestured towards the space between the two of them.

“This thing we have, what does it mean? What do i mean to you? What's our relationshi-”

“Rey, there's a bond between us, you've felt it, I've felt it.” He spoke quickly and assuredly as he removed the space between them. “It has only grown stronger and stronger. We’re linked. Both spiritually... and physically.” His gaze slowly traveled over her face while he let his gloved hand lightly rest on her cheek, his thumb grazing her lower lip.

‘’Perhaps it's time we both stop resisting it.’’

And then he kissed her.

It was a soft kiss. He closed his eyes and let his lips gently touch hers for just a few seconds. While her first reaction to the experience was wide eyes and a dumbfounded expression, Rey quickly closed them and let the sensation take over her. 

_It feels good_. Feeling his lips on hers, the bond between them intensifying. She was as one with the force, and with him. It was her first kiss shared with what some would consider a monster of a man, but not only did it feel right. It felt like fate.

He took a step back as he broke the kiss, studying her reaction for a moment. Seemingly happy with what he saw, Kylo gave her one of his signature imperceptible smiles that stayed on his face for only a quarter of a second. “I've wanted to do that since our last elevator ride.” 

Rey slowly touched her lips as she looked up at him.

 _“_ I know. _”_

Even back on the Supremacy, there had been an undercurrent of want radiating from their force bond. She had felt his conflicted emotions regarding her. They were a mirror of her own. “

Ben, we-”

At that moment the elevator doors opened and the sight of a First Order officer greeted them in the hallway. “Supreme Leader!” He did a quick salute.

“Mitaka.” Kylo stepped out of the elevator and motioned Rey to follow. The gentle man she kissed just a few moments before had turned back into a cold warlord.

“This floor is to be off-limits to anyone I've not approved. The personnel working here will be kept to a minimum, and i want you to make sure of their loyalty. Any outside surveillance of the cell block area and my quarters in the B Wing will cease.”

They marched forward quickly down the hallway, Rey had trouble keeping up.

“Yes, sir.” Officer Mitaka glanced towards Rey. “Shall i prepare a cell for the prisoner?”

“No.” Kylo suddenly stopped and turned towards the officer, pointing a finger towards the man. “Wait... yes, prepare a cell and make sure that the logs record that a prisoner is contained there.''

Officer Mitaka looked confused. “Sir?”

Kylo's usual stiff mask suddenly seemed unstable. “The prisoner will be under my personal... care. We will treat her as a guest, and with full access to the B Wing. Set her up in one of my rooms as soon as possible. But,’’ Kylo's voice turned stern. ‘’This information stays on this floor. Officially, she’s in a cell.''

“Of.. of course sir, I'll take care of it immediately.” Officer Mitaka seemed slightly shaken, but he gave her a small nod as he turned to leave. Rey wondered what this man, who seemed to have Kylo’s trust, thought of all this. _Does he believe me to be a dangerous enemy that needs to be appeased and turned? Perhaps he thinks I've managed to seduce the supreme leader somehow, that i've agreed to become his bed companion in place of staying in a dark cell._ Rey hoped that it was the first option. She was glad few people would know about this arrangement.

They continued walking through the ship in what Rey thought was a much-needed silence until they arrived at what she guessed was his quarters. 

“After You.”

Rey took a deep breath as she strode over the threshold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow this little story just continues, feedback is very welcome!


	7. Kylo's quarters

The smell of a warm meal overwhelmed her as soon as she'd crossed the threshold to his quarters. In front of her was a dinner table stocked with different foodstuffs, enough for a year back on Jakku.

Ben released her hands from their cuffs.“I sent for some sustenance.” He sounded so blasé about it. Like it was the most standard thing in the world for him. Rey could not remember the last time she ate. So much had happened, that even her usual appetite hadn't been able to make itself known. The flurry of experiences and emotions had overwhelmed all else. She went to the table and grabbed an interesting-looking piece of yellow pie. It crumbled in her hands but it smelled wonderful. She wolfed it down and heard his amused voice behind her.

“I thought you wanted to shower and change clothes before we sat down and ate, but I see that's not the case for a scavenger.”

She turned around, her mouth full of pie. She was preparing to talk back to him when she looked down. She was still wearing her bacta smeared clothes and his big black cloak over it all. _A shower is not such a bad idea._

“Fine, show me the shower.” She swallowed the piece of pie and cleaned up any pie crumbs from her fingertips with her mouth. He was staring at her.  Perhaps  he thought her a savage, she pondered, while removing a crust from her thumb.

“There wasn’t any time for learning table manners on Jakku. Manners would get you killed quicker.” She glanced at Ben who, for a second, looked a bit embarrassed.

“I wasn't thinking about your manners.” He moved swiftly past her and went towards a black door by the black bed in the otherwise black room. _If I've learned anything by being here, its that_ _The First Order loves the color black_. If it wasn't for his white skin she'd have a hard time differentiating Ben from the decor.

“In here's the shower. There should be a uniform in there for when you're done.”

As Rey was about to enter she hesitated and turned to face Ben. “Don't you want to shower as well?” He seemed a bit taken aback by her question, and too late did she realize what she was implying. “I mean, before me.” She  hurriedly  added.

He gave her a crooked but faint smile, and then he sauntered very close, forcing her to look up to see his face. “I'll do it after I've eaten, I'm not in such a great need as you.”

Rey huffed and rolled her eyes. “ You aren't so fresh yourself you know, you smell like the battlefield on Crait, all salt and smoke.”

With that, she went into the shower room. Feeling his eyes on her as she went.

-

Fresh out of the shower, a black towel wrapped around her body, Rey was deliberating. She held the black first order officer's uniform out in front of her. She did not want to wear it. It already felt like she was betraying the resistance by being there.  Eating First Order food, taking First Order hot showers and making small talk with the First Order's Supreme Leader. Not to mention kissing the First Order's Supreme Leader. Wearing an officer's uniform, the same one she'd seen on the people in the hangar bay, it didn't sit right with her.

She scanned the room, wondering if there were any other clothes she could wear. Then she spotted a half-open closet. Inspecting it, she realized it was some of Ben's clothes hanging in there, all black of course. She brought out a long black undershirt, something he might wear under his gambeson. It was huge. It almost went to her knees.

But with the help of one of her belts, she fashioned it into something that resembled a dress. She looked over to her pile of old clothes and wondered if there was anything else she could salvage. The breast band was ruined beyond repair. Thankfully, new undergarments had come with the uniform. (She had decided that a First Order bra was something she could at least stomach wearing). Her pants were in bad shape, likewise her boots. Dismissing the idea to look for footwear in Ben's closet (where she guessed that anything she'd find would be way too big for her). She decided to forgo pants and put on the almost kneehigh First Order boots.

Finishing it all off with three messy buns, she strode out into the principal part of the chamber. There, the dining table still called to her with its delicacies. She sat down at one end of the table, devouring everything with her eyes. But when her gaze passed by the chair opposite hers, she realized Ben wasn’t sitting in it. In fact, he wasn't in the room at all. Rey sat back in her chair. It felt strange, not having him near. _It's lonely without him._

At that moment, the door to his chambers opened. Rey leaped from the table, fumbling for her lightsaber or staff. Only to remember she'd been in possession of neither of them for a long time. _I need to get my hands on a weapon._ Thankfully, she would not need one right now. Ben strode in looking like he did before, but cleaner somehow, and with slightly damp hair.

"What's the-" He abruptly stopped talking and scrutinized her from head to toe. Rey felt naked under his warm but focused gaze.  Perhaps she shouldn't have left her legs bare. The way he looked at her made her feel hot and bothered.

"You're wearing my shirt."

Rey steeled herself. " Well, I'm not wearing a First Order uniform, so I took what I found in your closet."

He advanced on her, removing all space between them as he bent down, making his face level with hers. She could feel his breath close to her ear. He did not smell like salt and smoke anymore.

"Once a scavenger always a scavenger hm?"

Rey had no chance to respond as Ben gently cradled her face in his gloved hands and claimed her mouth. This time she was powerless to resist letting his tongue explore past her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time writing anything even close to smut, we'll see what happens:)


	8. In the air

Ray's mind was a jumbled mess of sensory impressions as her body’s relationship with Ben’s intensified.  Somewhere between the joining of lips and exploring tongues, he straightened up and moved his hands from her face to envelop her waist, pressing her against his torso. Instinctively, Rey stood on tiptoes and draped her arms around his neck. Desperate to return to his lips. While she had no experience with this kind of thing, she could sense that he did. Somehow their connection made it easier to follow his lead.

During a quick intake of breath, they locked eyes, and Rey wondered why she'd ever thought the color of his eyes was black when they were a beautiful warm brown. She placed a hand on his chest, stopping him from continuing.

"Ben, I have no real experience with this."

He smiled in response. Warm and wide. With his teeth showing.

"I can tell."

Rey was about to punch his chest for that remark, but then his smile vanished as fast as it arrived.

"I have. But it's been a long time since I've... expressed this part of me." His gaze left hers and settled on the floor.

"It was another life." He murmured the sentence like he was talking more to himself than to her.

She placed her hand on his cheek. "When you were only Ben."

His eyes quickly sought hers again, surprise painted on his face.

She gave him the same big smile he'd just given her.

"Then show me what you remember."

She was about to steal a kiss from him again when without warning he hoisted her up, forcing her to hook her legs around his waist. She pressed her upper body against his chest while grabbing his back for support. Rey felt breathless as Ben took a firm grip of her thighs.

“Wh..what are you doing!?” Rey was happy they were almost cheek to cheek, unable to see each other because her face was surely beet red.

“Showing you.”

He breathed his answer into her ear while letting his lips graze her earlobe and continue down her neck.

Rey shuddered as she closed her eyes and tried to contain her reaction. It felt good, too good. A strange sensation was spreading throughout her body. Settling in the place between her thighs. She had a vague understanding of what was happening, She'd felt like this before, but never as intense. The only thing she was sure of is that she craved whatever Ben was offering. Rey hoped he could not sense what she was experiencing. Matters were not helped by the fact that her lower body was so firmly pressed against his waist.  Trying to find something else to focus on, she entwined her hands in his silky black hair while he carried her through his chambers.

_So soft._

“I've wanted to touch your hair since the first time I saw it.”

She blurted it out without thinking. Rey opened her eyes and put a hand over her mouth, wondering what came over her to admit such a thing. That she'd been drawn to him like this, even from their not so friendly first meeting.

But then she heard him chuckle once, and a big hand closed over one of her hair buns just above her neck.

"I've wanted to touch these strange things since the first time I saw them too."

Rey laughed. She found it hard to imagine that the man she fought in the forest would give his opinion of her hairstyle. But then, there were many things shed never expect him to think about.

They stopped at the dining table. Plates and bowls clattered against the floor, moved there by the Force. No sooner had he put her down before Ben sought her lips again. His gloved hands held her by the waist. Rey responded eagerly, and now she dared to explore him a little.  Letting her hand move over his broad chest, remembering how affected she was when she saw it bare during her time on Ach-To.

Ben was standing between her thighs, occupied with kissing her shoulder when Rey let out a soft moan and almost involuntarily pressed them together at the thought of the memory coupled with their present activities.

He immediately stopped kissing her. His face looked flushed and disheveled when he gazed at her face.

“Did I.. do something wrong?” Rey felt like her heart was beating out of her chest.

He blinked once. Like a droid needing to reboot, before his face lit up, giving her a wry grin.

“No, not at all.” he grabbed her chin and gave her a devastating kiss.

She barely had the sense to open her mouth to receive him since she felt his right-hand travel from her waist to softly cup the underside of her breast, his thumb moving in slow circles over it, on the cusp of reaching her nipple.

Rey moaned into his mouth, clutching his chest for support and bunching up his gambeson tightly in her hands. Ben stepped back after a moment, looking her up and down while dragging his gloved thumb over his lower lip, removing any lingering wetness.

“I want my shirt back.”

Rey scoffed. “Right now?”

“Yeah.”

They stared at each other. Both a bit out of breath.  Then she slowly reached for her belt buckle, while Ben followed her movements intently.

The sound of the door opening made both of them jump.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut is hard.


	9. Dinner

Officer Mitaka stood frozen in the doorway with a dumbfounded expression on his face. His gaze went quickly between Rey sitting on the table, hands still on her belt. And Ben standing still as a rock between her legs.

“Oh, I'm so sorry I…” He quickly scrambled backward, placing a hand in front of his eyes.

“Mitaka.” Ben's voice had a hard edge to it as he moved away from Rey, adjusting his uniform. She jumped down from the table,  suddenly taking a keen interest in the floor. The intimate atmosphere had completely shattered.

“Your reason for being in my line-of-sight right now better be good, for your sake.”

Mitaka swallowed, his Adam's apple forcing its way down a way too tight collar.

“There’s been a new development sir, General Hux is pacing outside Wing B, demanding an audience with you.”

“Why didn't you use the comm panel?”

“Um… I did, Sir.” Mitaka pointed towards the comm station on a wall behind Ben and Rey. It was blinking, giving the room a light red sheen every other second. It also made a beeping sound during the same interval.

Ben slowly turned his head towards the station, and then slowly back again. His face looked like he'd eaten something sour.

Rey coughed, Trying to hide a chuckle. _They hadn't even noticed._

“ What's happened?” Ben did his best to put his mask of indifference back on.

“The First Order no longer controls Coruscant. It's been overtaken by a rabble of different factions vying for control. The High command is still on it's way there but some of them are asking questions. General Hux said, and I quote, _“Only an idiot would set a meeting to secure his power on a planet he has lost control over.”_ End quote.”

“And? That's it?”

“That's what I know sir… General Hux arrived at the entrance to the B Wing ten minutes ago.  I believe  he wants your permission to postpone the meeting.”

“Tell Hux that we will go to Coruscant as planned, and-” Ben pointed towards Mitaka. “Make sure he knows that if he ever-”

The sound of a brittle piece of flatbread crunching in Rey's mouth made both Ben and Officer Mitaka turn their heads towards her and stare.

“I'm still hungry.” She said it to no in particular as she sat down and continued partaking from the dinner table.

Now it was Ben's turn to hide a chuckle with a cough. “... As I said, if Hux values his life, he won't step foot on this floor again.”

“Understood sir.”

He gave Ben a quick nod and then hesitated for a moment. He turned and faced Rey, giving her a quick nod too, before scurrying out the door.

Ben sighed, dragging his hands through his velvety black hair, before slumping down on the chair in front of her. He studied her while she ate,  absentmindedly grabbing some red fruit Rey’d never seen before.

“Isn't it bad manners to stare while someone is eating?”

“You eat like a savage.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“You behave like a savage” she mumbled under her breath.

She didn't look up from her meal, but she heard him chuckle softly. They continued to sit in silence, many words left unsaid hanging in the air between them, making it heavy. It felt too awkward.  Thankfully, she had questions to break the ice with, a lot of them in fact.

"Where is my lightsaber?"

"You mean what's left of your lightsaber?" He took a bite out of the fruit. Rey rolled her eyes.

"It's in storage here somewhere. If you wish, ill show you how to repair it, otherwise, I'll do it for you."

"Id like that." She smiled faintly, but then she remembered that she had a more pressing issue at hand.

“Why is General Hux still in command?”

“Why not?”

“Well let's see, hmm...  perhaps because he tried to kill you a few hours ago. Why was I the one in cuffs when we arrived and not him?”

“He's still useful to me. He knows how to handle First Order bureaucracy and the rest of the high command.”

“Even though you know he would not hesitate to kill you given the chance?”

"Better to have an enemy you know by your side than an enemy you don't."

Rey put down the bread she was munching on, feeling like she'd lost her appetite.

"Is that what everyone around you is to you, Ben? An enemy? If so, why don't you  just  leave?”

He stopped eating and stared at her. Rey felt like the air had turned cold.

"We've already discussed this."

“No, we haven't. A few words in the throne room ruins hardly counts as a discussion.”

“You want me to defect? If I have enemies surrounding me here, that has to go double for the resistance. How long until I get court-martialed if I step foot in a Resistance base?  Maybe  I'll have time to wave to my mother before they drag me away and hang me.”

“It wouldn't go like that. Leia loves you Ben, if you help take down the first order she would vouch for you. I would vouch for you.” she pressed her palm over her heart.

“The resistance is as good as dead Rey. it’s too late to stop the First Order war machine.”

Rey stood up abruptly, crossing her arms over her chest. The chair made a screeching sound as it dragged backward.

“I refuse to believe that. The things the first order has done, they're heinous. how can't you see that? Ben, how can you want to lead this organization?

“Oh like the resistance is so much better. There were two million people working on the Supremacy when it got skewered like a Tatooine womp rat.” He threw down the rest of the fruit he was eating hard on the plate before him.

“Yes, there were many people on the Raddus too. They would all be alive if the First Order hadn’t hounded them across the galaxy.”

Ben rose from the table, taking a few steps towards her, shaking his head. “It's too late to stop the machine, Rey.” he reached his hand out towards her. “but we can still change the machine. Make it better. As soon as I secure control, I will make significant changes to the First Order. I... no, _we_ will make the galaxy a better place.” His outstretched hand reached for hers. “ I promise.”

Rey studied the hand before her. It was the throne room all over again. She knew they would always circle back to this. She also knew her answer hadn't changed, but having to turn him down again was something she didn't want to do right now.

She turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's sprinkle in some angst :)


End file.
